The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-15
AN AWFUL EXPERIENCE
A Thrilling Fight for Life With a Mad
Man in a Balloon Car.
From the Leeds Mercurl

II III ming rlgnt IOr Lille With Mad
Man in a Balloon Car.
From the Leeds Mercuru.
A great crowd gathered at F. to see mo
ascend in a balloon. Some of the citizens
had promised to so with me, but their cour
age failed at the last moment, and re-
solved to go alone.
Wherever had made ascensions. although
IN widely distant places, | had always no.
Cced among the spectators a Young man.
whose unusual pallOr and deep-sunken. great
eyes had impressed me. He was greatly in
terested III my undertakings, and pressed
near to offer any slight assistance. | had
become SO used to his presence that at F
L lnvoluntarily looked round for him as
called to my men to make ready. The I'M
known stood close by the barrier, paler and
more haggard than ever. | sprang into the
boat and ordered the rope to be cut.
AT the same moment saw movement
among the spectators, but did not heed it, as
L was arranging some things in the bottom
or the boat and was STOPPING over and busy
when the quickly rising balloon was high in
the air. Great was my establishment when
l looked up and saw that strange looking
young man with me.
Your obedient servant, sir" said he,
very politely.
by what right are you here?" asked,
Indignantly.
you could not escape me; therefore 1
have right to be here" said he
PerpleXed by this answer, | was silent.
Untroubled by my amazement, he went on
In this way we shall never go up With
these words he seized two bags of ballast
and cast them out.
''SirW cried, angrily catching his arm,
Il cannot allow that The barometer
| showed me that the balloon had risen 1000
feet. 1--WE must descend said /; ''those
clouds darkening around us, and growing
blacker and heavier in the south, warn us
of thunder storm"
NO" he cried, 1--WE must dash through
the clouds; the lightning shall flash far be-
low us, and once more two bags of ballast
flew overheard. l struggled to hold him
back, but he pushed me to the floor with one
hand, while he carried out his purpose with
the other, saying: II am very sorry, but l
see you do not understand the thing, so |
must take the whole control Now, don't
interfere with me again"
He continued throwing overheard bag
after bag of ballast, holding me firmly back
as soon as tried to prevent his actions
saw that had to deal with a mailman, far
my superior in physical strength, SO | re-
solved to try cunning. | tried to interest
him in conversation while | slyly pulled the
valve-rope and hoped to bring the balloon
down before he observed our course.
Suddenly he said: ''You have opened the
valve in spite of my orders" / dropped the
string. Fortunately" he continued while
he flung some bags over the side, 1--WE have
yet 200 pounds of ballast. l allowed you to
open the valve because the gas threatened to
burst the balloon, but don't you do it again -
The clouds sailed under us in glittering
stream, on which the balloon cast deep
shadow Thunder rolled far below
Once more he lightened the balloon by
fifty pounds, and it shot upward like an
arrow. The delirium of my uncomfortable
companion seemed to increase in proportion
to our distance from the earth.
Higher, higher! You need not know
more"
With these words ne flung the compass
out. was helpless as child before the
mailman. To my urgent entreaties to have
our course changed, he only cried, Il am
out of patience with you. Now you shall
no longer know whether we go up or down. y
Then he threw the barometer and half the
remaining ballast after the compass Ever
higher rose the balloon; my heart throbbed
as if it would burst; blood flowed from my
nose and mouth.
'How grand it is to die as a martyr!'
shouted the lunatic, throwing overheard
the last of the ballast.
Desperation gave me strength. l strug-
gled with him, but had to yield. He threw
me to the floor, and, holding me there, he
took knife from his pocket and cut rope.
With a shrek thrust him aside and flew
to the end of the boat, instinctively chung to
to the only remaining rope, and, over
whelmed by horror, closed my eyes
After long pause l opened them and
found myself alone upon the boat-alone
10, 900 feet above the earth. My companion
had vanished. rose still higher, higher,
rushing so swiftly through the air that
every breath | drew was keenest torture.
A sharp frost made my teeth chatter, but
suddenly suffocating heat took the place
of the cold. found myself in the middle
of a glowing, fiery cloud, and heard ter
rife report-the gas had burst from its
prison.
ssThe balloon whirled with horrible rapid.
ity as it collapsed-an ugly, formless mass.
The descent seemed long. As / neared the
earth saw was within two miles of the
ocean, and feared the wind would drive me
there. During the whole journey down |
had been standing on the end of the boat,
convulsiveIy clinging to the rope. A
violent lurch tore it from my hold ano
hurled me backward. fell-not, as l ex
pected, into space, but in the soft grass
of a meadow. / was nearer the ground than
could in my unfortunate position judge
The anchor, trailing along, had luckily
caught fast. had scarcely dropped before
the balloon, now unburdened, sailed swiftly
off over the sea. A miracle had saved me
from the most awful peril my exciting life
ever brought me. Nothing was ever heard
of NV unhappy companion. Probably he
fell in the ocean; he must have been dead
long before he reached it.